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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25033915">The Night After</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aqonoluna/pseuds/aqonoluna'>aqonoluna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>[AkiRyu] November 20 Interrogation [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bisexual Persona 5 Protagonist, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, During Canon, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Pain, Post-November 20 Interrogation (Persona 5), Straight Sakamoto Ryuji except for Akira</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:41:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25033915</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aqonoluna/pseuds/aqonoluna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryuji Sakamoto always knew the plan would work. It had to. The alternative would have been...</p><p>When Ryuji finds out that Akira has returned to Café Leblanc, he wastes no time getting there so he can be by his boyfriend’s side.</p><p>The state he finds his boyfriend in once he arrives, however... Heartbroken is too simple of a word. Devastated is getting closer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kurusu Akira/Sakamoto Ryuji</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>[AkiRyu] November 20 Interrogation [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1831081</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>173</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Night After</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Spoilers for 11/20.</p><p>This is my attempt at explaining how the fuck Joker can possibility be in no pain whatsoever THE DAY AFTER so clearly having his ribs bruised, at the very least. I got the idea after remembering they gave him a truth serum in the Interrogation Room.</p><p>... With a healthy side portion of AkiRyu because I’m trash for this fucking ship and I will go down with it.</p><p>(Also, I realized just now THIS is apparently I posted for Ryuji’s birthday... SORRY, RYUJI.)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ryuji was not asleep when the sudden text came in at almost midnight. How could he have been? The news was reporting that the apprehended Leader of the Phantom Thieves had been found, having committed suicide in custody. As much as he <em>absolutely knew</em> that the plan had worked, that they had successfully tricked Goro Akechi...</p><p>...there was still a thumping, clawing, nagging, <em>screaming</em>, worry deep in the core of his gut that kept saying, over and over again, <em>what if</em> it hadn’t; <em>what if</em> the reports of their Leader having committed suicide meant he was actually dead? <em>What if</em> the most crucial part of the plan hadn’t worked; <em>what if</em> Sae hadn’t believed him...? <em>What if</em> he—?</p><p>The loud <strong><em>pi pi pi</em></strong> of his cell phone yanks Ryuji back into reality so fast it makes his head spin. He idly notes as he reaches for his phone that the skin under his eyes feels tight — and when he lifts his hand to do something about it, he realizes said area is wet.</p><p>Ryuji Sakamoto’s boyfriend <em>can’t</em> be dead. How is he meant to continue on if—</p><p><em>Just read the text message</em>, he hears a gentle voice in the back of his head say. Somehow the disembodied voice is caressing him; coddling him. Calming him down? Where is this voice even comi— <em>Read the text, Ryuji.</em></p><p>[Akira][23:47] It’s Morgana. Akira is here at the cafe.</p><p>“Akira is all right?!” he hears himself say aloud, jumping out of bed and getting on his feet so fast that it sends bolts of pain through his previously-broken leg. He barely even notices. “Shit! For real?!”</p><p>Part of him is saying he needs to text the rest of his team to let them know Akira is all right; that he is alive. Another part of him is saying that this sudden text from his boyfriend’s phone is a sign that he needs to get to the café as quickly as he can.</p><p>The latter wins out.</p><p>Throwing on the first outfit he can find, Ryuji hastily tells his mother that he’s going out and he’ll be back, don’t worry. Before she can grill him with questions about <em>When will he </em><em>be back?</em> and <em>Where he plans on going, especially at this time of night?</em> he’s gone.</p>
<hr/><p>Ryuji found Morgana waiting for him outside Leblanc. Judging by the pacing he’s doing, Ryuji can tell something isn’t right. It not <em>Akira is actually dead and Boss is holding the body</em> bad, but something isn’t right and Ryuji—</p><p>“Where is he?”</p><p>“Inside,” Morgana begins. There’s a silence between them for what feels like an eternity before he continues. “Ryuji... He’s alive, but... they hurt him. Bad.”</p><p>They had known they would; they had known that they were going to hurt Akira. It still doesn’t make the blow any easier, because what if he’s hurt more than they expected him to—</p><p>Ryuji doesn’t need to hear anymore of this. He tears past Morgana, into the café. </p><p>Frantically searching the main café first, he then rushes upstairs to Akira’s temporary bedroom where he finds a group of three adults huddled around his boyfriend’s bed. He can only see the backs of their heads, but he can tell one of them is Boss. He’s not sure who the other two people are, but they seem to be packing up, so thankfully he doesn’t have to talk to them.</p><p>By the time Ryuji makes it to Akira’s bedside, Boss is showing the two mystery ladies back downstairs, one of whom he manages to note has short hair similar in style and color to Yusuke’s. She seems to be <em>almost</em> as worried about Akira as he is... <em>Almost</em>.</p><p>Before following the navy-haired lady and her companion downstairs, the look Sojiro gives Ryuji says <em>Stay right here, I’ll be right back</em>. It looks like he know what’s going on, so he welcomes and awaits his return to hear what he has to say.</p>
<hr/><p>Akira is awake...</p><p>Thank <em>whoever is out there</em> Akira is awake. <em>Alive</em>. He may be badly hurt and quite obviously delirious from the pain, but he’s <em>alive</em> and that’s all that—</p><p>Quiet, choked cries cut off Ryuji’s train of thought, tearing him back to reality. He’s been doing that a lot; he’s been spacing out a lot since his boyfriend was apprehended in Sae’s Palace. He hasn’t been able to think properly since that happened, because as far as he knew...</p><p>No. Akira is <em>awake</em>! He is <em>alive</em>! Damn it, he’s alive!</p><p><em>Akira is right in front of you, damn it! Focus on that, will you?</em>
</p><p>Right now, he is crying... Though, that doesn’t appear to be much of anything new. From the way his face looks, he’s been doing that for a while.</p><p>“Ryuji,” Akira chokes out, but it doesn’t seem as though he knows where Ryuji is, because he isn’t looking at him or really making much of an attempt to locate him. He just seems to know that he’s in the room somewhere and can hear him. “It hurts so bad. Everything hurts so bad,” he cries.</p><p>Hesitantly, Ryuji reaches out to take Akira’s hand in his. When he doesn’t flinch away but rather squeezes his hand, relief washes over him like nothing he’s ever felt before. He experiences another similar wash of relief when his boyfriend seems to figure out where he is, and turns to look at him as a result.</p><p>Unfortunately, the relief is short-lived.</p><p>The tears streaming down Akira’s face combined with the way his face is contorted into nothing but an expression of pain from his lips to his eyes... Ryuji wishes the sight had broken his heart. He’s never even seen him in this much pain in Mementos or in a Palace, and he’s <em>technically died</em> there a couple of times.</p><p>“Akira...” Ryuji tries, whispering so as to not spook his boyfriend any. He’s not sure what’s going on in his head right now, but he doesn’t want to take any chances. “I’m right here. It’s all right. I’m right here, Kira.”</p><p>Akira screws his eyes shut and just sobs. It seems like he’s been holding it back for awhile because there’s so much force behind it. Sure, he has definitely been crying; the dried and fresh tears are proof of that... but he’s obviously been holding back the real crying; the actual sobs. Has been holding them back until...</p><p>Ryuji squeezes Akira’s hand again, hoping it’ll be grounding. He can’t tell if it’s actually helping, but he doesn’t stop trying. His boyfriend is still crying but he’s also not making any effort to pull his hand away...</p><p>“It’s okay,” he whispers, leaning in a bit closer to his bed. “I’m here, Kira. I’m right here. Whatever happened, it’s over now. I’m here now, Kira.” He’s really hoping that hearing his nickname will help. He’s sure he’s been hearing all manner of his given name all night, so perhaps... “I’m here. I got you, Kira. You’re all right.”</p><p>“It hurts so bad!” he sobs, but this time his words are slurred. He almost sounds like he’s drunk. Idly, he wonders if that’s also related to the ladies that were just here. They looked like doctors. At least, one of them did. Perhaps the other was an assistant? “Make it stop. Please make it stop!” he begs.</p><p>At this point, Akira is hyperventilating, which is just making him sob louder, which just causes him to hyperventilate more and then sob even louder, to the point his sobbing is almost ear-piercing. It’s turning into a vicious cycle.</p><p>It doesn’t take Ryuji long to figure out what’s going on. Akira’s ribs are bruised and the hyperventilating is causing him pain, which is in turn making him cry. He needs to do something and he needs to do it quick before Akira passes out from this vicious cycle of hyperventilation and sobbing and <em>pain</em>... but Ryuji has never been the tactics guy! It has always been Akira who to have all the directions—</p><p>Without thinking, he does the first thing that comes to mind and climbs into bed with him, behind him, and <em>as gently as he possibly can</em>, pulls his boyfriend into his arms so his back is pressed against his chest. Then, he very gently turns his head so his ear is placed right over his heart.</p><p>It works almost like magic. </p><p>It doesn’t take long for Akira to calm down, for his breathing to return to normal, upon hearing Ryuji’s regulated heartbeat. It had worked a few nights before, when he had been panicking about doing this plan at all, so it made sense for it to be working now.</p><p>“You’re all right,” Ryuji whispers, gently running his fingers through matted, black hair. It may have be matted; it may be slick and wet from sweat, but it’s as beautiful as always to Ryuji. “It’s okay. I got you, Kira. I’m here. You’re safe.”</p><p>Akira attempts to say something, but in his calmed state, whatever the medical ladies had given him seems to actually be able to work as it should be. His words are even more slurred, to the point they’re practically non-existent. It’s like whatever he had been given is taking advantage of his calmed state and coursing quickly through his veins. </p><p>Ryuji isn’t sure what it was he was given, but judging by the fact his boyfriend seems to be quickly falling asleep... it probably was some kind of sleeping serum, at the very least. That is his best guess.</p><p>Still, even with him being pushed toward sleep, toward relief from the pain, it looks like he’s fighting it. He doesn’t ask why; Akira isn’t coherent enough to answer that. He just continues speaking quiet, comforting words until something he says helps him fall asleep... or until he simply just passes out, so to speak.</p><p>“You’re all right,” Ryuji continues to coo. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here, Kira. I’m right here with you.” Gently, he brushes some stray strands of hair out of Akira’s face and eyes. “It’s okay to go to sleep. No one is going to hurt you, Kira. No one is here in the café but me, Morgana, and Sojiro. You are safe.”</p><p>That seems to be all Akira needs to hear. Thankfully, he finally lets himself fall asleep. As soon as he does, Ryuji let’s out a sigh of relief and relaxes as well.</p><p><em>Fucking bastards</em>. Ryuji plays the thought over and over in his head. <em>Fucking bastards hurt my boyfriend. They’re so lucky I</em>...</p><p>When Akira stirs and whimpers quietly, the anger boiling within Ryuji simmers down. Now isn’t the time to get angry; now is the time to remain calm so his calm heart rate can keep his boyfriend asleep.</p>
<hr/><p>Akira is supposed to be dead. </p><p>Technically, as far as Japan is concerned, right now, he is dead.</p><p>The news won’t stop talking about it. The Leader of the Phantom Thieves was found dead in his holding chamber due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. There’s no way a death certificate hasn’t already been created to back up a claim like that.</p><p>Except, Akira isn’t dead. Akira is right here in his room, in Ryuji’s arms, just barely asleep, which is only because of a combination of drugs and cuddling. Akira isn’t dead, but he’s in pain because of a severely bruised ribcage. He isn’t dead, but his face is covered in bruises and cuts. He isn’t dead, but he can’t exactly walk right now because someone stepped on his thigh, bruising it. (He hadn’t seen that bruise, only had heard Akira mumble about it in his sleep.) He isn’t dead, but...</p><p>Akira isn’t dead.</p><p>Morgana jumps up on the bed and curls up in a spot next to Akira, not daring to sleep on his chest tonight. Sojiro never came back upstairs, as he was unexpectedly pulled away at the last second thanks to a frantic phone call from Futaba. That left the explanation to Morgana instead.</p><p>“They bruised him up really bad... as I’m sure you can tell...” Morgana pauses and Ryuji nods. “When Niijima-san dropped him off earlier, he was a mess. More of one than he is now,” he explains. “Takemi-sensei gave him some kind of serums. For sleeping and healing. She says he should be all right by tomorrow sometime, but he won’t recall much of tonight. The palace and the interrogation and all that, sure; he’ll definitely remember that, but she says he won’t reallg be able to remember anything from after she gave him the serums to when they wear off sometime tomorrow.”</p><p>“What about a hospital? Couldn’t they’ve just taken him to a—.”</p><p>“No,” Morgana says, gently cutting off Ryuji. It’s best if he does the talking; Ryuji can’t get riled up if he doesn’t let him. “He’s dead. Technically. It would have been a nightmare for everyone, including him, <em>especially him, </em>had he been taken to a hospital.”</p><p>Right.</p><p>Akira isn’t dead, but... he is to the whole of Japan.</p><p>Perhaps this is for the best. If what Morgana says is true, this Takemi doctor person gave him a serum that’ll have him healed by tomorrow. He sure hopes that’s the case...</p><p>“You should get some sleep, Ryuji.”</p><p>“No, thanks,” he mumbles, but he does let his eyes close and leans his head back against the wall. It isn’t comfortable, but like hell is he moving until Akira wakes up. “I can’t go to sleep. I need to be awake if... if Akira needs anything.”</p><p>Morgana nods but concedes to Ryuji, yawning. “All right,” he says, moving and curling up against Akira a bit, purring. “You’re a loyal man, Ryuji Sakamoto. Wake me up if you need anything from me.”</p>
<hr/><p>Ryuji never did go to sleep, like he said. He got close a couple of times, but he stayed awake for his boyfriend. He had to. Even if there was no chance of Akira remembering tonight’s events past the interrogation room come morning, he needed him tonight, no questions asked. Even if he didn’t wake up even once.</p><p>
  <em>There is absolutely no way I’m falling asleep on you tonight. You can count on me. I’m right here; I’m right next to you. Just like I promised I always would be. I got you. I love you, Kira...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Please be all right.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please comment and leave kudos if you enjoyed this story! I really would love to know what everyone thought of it.</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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